RE: your article about the Spa shop on the site of the Yates’ wine bar. I am not surprised that no objections were received as many people do not know how to raise objections.

Even when so called ‘consultation’ takes place it seems that the council planners are highly selective in what they hear – as was pointed out in your letters page of June 11 concerning their disregarding Coventry peoples’ wishes that Broadgate have green space returned in place of concrete slabs.

Unelected officials in the council house should be made to understand who they are employed to serve and make the democratic processes simpler and more accessible instead of holding sham ‘consultations’, choosing only to accept the outcomes if they support their existing plans.

It is the responsibility of our elected councillors to ensure that real democratic processes are followed and that the voice of Coventry people is heard and acted upon and not to waste their time playing at party politics.

Many of us are frustrated because we believe that our democratic duties have been relegated to the chance to put a cross in a box every couple of years and that is not good enough – and it certainly does not add up to a modern informed democracy.

Of course, when we are convinced that our views are ignored, we will detach ourselves from the process – which is just what those in the council house want, I suspect.